NBA 2018-19: Why the early NBA All-Star voting results seem to be odd
The NBA All-Star Weekend is coming soon. The weekend of all-star events will begin February 15th-17th, 2019, a little less than a month and a half away. Every year there is a debate about who should be named an All-Star and who should not.
The 2003 NBA All-Star voting saw rookie Yao Ming get the starting nod as the Western Conference All-Star starting center. This meant Shaquille O’Neal, fresh off of three consecutive NBA Finals MVP awards would be a back up at that 2003 NBA All-Star game.
Not to pick on Yao Ming, but Ming was again voted the Western Conference’s starting center in 2011 after missing the previous season due to a hairline fracture in his left foot and having only played five games in the 2010-11 season.
Now, mostly determined by fan voting, the All-Star selections are not based on a set of criteria or guidelines but more so on the nostalgic feelings of the voters. Last week we got a look at the early All-Star voting results, which can change as we get closer to the All-Star event but here is a look at five odd rankings good or bad based on those voter tallies.
Vince Carter and Dwyane Wade
Vince Carter received 76,022 votes placing him 7th among frontcourt players in the Eastern Conference. Also in the East among guards, Dwyane Wade received 409,156 votes placing him 2nd in voting behind Kyrie Irving and ahead of Kemba Walker. This might seem odd but it is a good irregularity if these early voter results hold up.
Carter and Wade, while not starters or significant on-court contributors anymore, have nearly 37 years of NBA experience including this season and are near retirement. The votes they have both accumulated are in essence similar to a lifetime achievement award for their body of work.
Wade, of course, is a three-time NBA Champion and NBA Finals MVP in 2006, a 12 time NBA All-Star from 2005-2016 and an NBA scoring champion in 2009. Vince Carter was named the rookie of the year in 1999. Carter was crowned NBA slam dunk contest winner at the 2000 All-Star Weekend and he is a former 8 time all-star from 2000-2007.
Both of these players are well beyond their primes but are close to retirement as at least Dwyane Wade has said this is his last season. There is absolutely nothing wrong in honoring the game’s past and Wade and Carter have left us with many memorable moments over the course of their careers.